Del Mar

Breeders' Cup World Championships and Del Mar Thoroughbred Club have forged multi-year partnerships with the ticketing platform SeatGeek. "Attending the Breeders' Cup is a one-of-a-kind experience, and our partnership with SeatGeek ensures fans will have an easier and more intuitive way to access tickets for years to come," said John Keitt, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Breeders' Cup Limited. "This collaboration is a step forward in enhancing the overall fan journey, from purchasing tickets to enjoying the extraordinary racing and atmosphere offered at the World Championships." SeatGeek's platform...

Last year, owner Joey Peacock, trainer Todd Fincher and jockey Junior Alvarado were on cloud nine when Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) finished as a game runner-up in the GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. However, that was only the beginning because when the homebred rolled late--downright tardy--to take the G1 Saudi Cup the revels were in full effect more than half a world away. With so much success then, it would stand to reason that trying to pull off another shot at the Pegasus-Saudi Cup double would be the move....

Chilean import Richi (Chi) (Practical Joke), second while making her North American debut in the Desert Stormer Stakes June 2, went one better off the bench to upset 1-5 favorite and her Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Pleasant (Munnings) in Saturday's GIII Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita. Off at odds of 3-1 with the blinkers coming off here, Richi sat a tracking trip in an inside third, shot through an opening along the rail at the top of the stretch and blasted off from there to defeat the GI Breeders' Cup...

Newly-turned second season sire Authentic was represented by his first 'TDN Rising Star' Saturday when Rodriguez (c, 3, Authentic--Cayala, by Cherokee Run) opened up on a maiden special weight field at Santa Anita to graduate at second asking. While only second best behind stablemate and Saturday's GII San Vicente Stakes runner up Romanesque (Practical Joke) in his debut debut going 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar Nov. 23, the 1-5 favorite clearly relished the stretch out to the mile Saturday. Drawn against the rail, he was ridden for the lead...

Every passing year seems to present California with a fresh set of challenges. The latest new leaf brings with it an entirely new racing framework with operations consolidated in the South. This comes on the back of the California Association of Racing Fairs' (CARF) decision last month not to pursue a race meet at Pleasanton during the start of 2025. On New Year's morning, the TDN sat down with Bill Nader, executive director of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC). In part one of this interview, Nader discusses, among other...

Bob Baffert trainees Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) and Gaming (Game Winner), who made up the exacta in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar Nov. 1, were among several notables to record timed workouts Saturday morning at Santa Anita. A contender for the Eclipse Award as the top 2-year-old colt, Citizen Bull drilled alongside stablemate Richi (Chi) (Practical Joke) going five furlongs in 59.40 seconds, which was the second-fastest of 59 works at the distance. Gaming worked five furlongs in 1:02.60. For Citizen Bull, this was his third...

Longshot J B Strikes Back (Goldencents) upset the inaugural running of the GII Laffit Pincay, Jr. Stakes (previously run as the San Antonio Stakes) Thursday in his first try facing stakes company for trainer Doug O'Neill. The 3-year-old gelding, understandably one of the least experienced runners in the field and the second longest wagering price, broke his maiden in his third start in a $20,000 claimer at Del Mar and was claimed out of that start from these same connections who promptly bought him right back in a $25,000 conditioned...

Eddie Truman, a trainer as renowned for his patience with the Thoroughbred as for a perennially genial disposition, has passed at the age of 77. "A great horseman and an even greater individual," said veteran trainer Gary Stute. "I never heard him say a bad word about anybody--anybody--and on the racetrack, that's few and far," Stute added. "Once you met him, you stayed friends with him. The ultimate honest good person." Over a career spanning nearly 50 years, Truman trained 763 winners and collected $15.7 million in earnings. He had...

For the second year in a row, jockey Juan Hernandez has won both the summer and fall riding titles at Del Mar. However, unlike past title runs, he had to rally from behind late in the season to win the Bing Crosby Season title with 21 wins. Hernandez trailed both Antonio Fresu and Umberto Rispoli through much of the fall. But he got hot in the second-to-last week, winning five races and grabbing the lead. He then secured the title with another eight victories in the final week including five...

Longshot Sacred Wish (Not This Time) just outlasted favored Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) to win the GI Matriarch Stakes and give her sire a sweep of the two graded events at Del Mar Sunday. The 4-year-old filly had finished on the board in six graded events, but the Matriarch was her first win at the graded level and her defeat of Gina Romantica put an end to trainer Chad Brown's string of four straight victories in the race. Dismissed at 12-1, Sacred Wish sat just off pacesetting Ag Bullet (Twirling...

Fitriani Hay's Clock Tower (Not This Time), the 4-5 favorite, glided up and over from his outside post to take the early lead and never looked back in a wire-to-wire victory in the GIII Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at Del Mar Sunday. The dark bay gelding was in control through an opening quarter in :23.62 and was under a strong hold while getting a breather down the backstretch as the half went up in :48.75. Second choice Scipio (Caravaggio) made eye-catching progress on the turn and loomed a threat while...

George Strawbridge's Augustin Stables capped a trio of graded wins over the week at Del Mar when Will Then (War of Will) powered to a 2 1/4-length victory in the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes at the seaside oval Saturday. The filly joined stablemates Mrs. Astor (Lookin at Lucky), who won the Nov. 24 GIII Red Carpet Stakes, and Truly Quality (Quality Road), who won the GII Hollywood Turf Cup Friday. All three homebreds are trained by Jonathan Thomas. "I really have to give kudos to Mr. Strawbridge and his breeding...